Bay election season heats up in August

by Tara Wendell

Bay Village has a full ballot this election season, and the city’s chapter of the League of Women Voters is working hard to ensure that voters have all the information they need. First up is the Sept. 12 primary election, which will narrow a field of 10 candidates in three City Council races.

The top two candidates each in Wards 2, 3 and 4 will move on to the general election on Nov. 7, where they will be joined by candidates vying for mayor, Ward 1 and council-at-large. Council president and board of education seats are also expiring this year, but those candidates will be unopposed in the general election.

To help educate voters in Wards 2, 3 and 4, the Bay Village chapter of the League of Women Voters Greater Cleveland is hosting a Primary Candidates Night at Bay Middle School on Wednesday, Aug. 9, from 7-9 p.m. Rather than a structured forum, the informal setup will feature a table for each candidate to greet residents and answer questions.

The chapter is also partnering with the Observer to present a Meet the Candidates feature in the newspaper. All 10 primary election candidates have been invited to write a brief letter introducing themselves to voters. The feature will be published in the Aug. 1 issue and will be available at the Primary Candidates Night in addition to the all of the usual locations around town.

The League and the Observer will join forces again with a comprehensive Voter Guide in advance of the Nov. 7 general election, and a second Candidates Night will be held at the high school on Oct. 4.